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They have both been devoted and valued companions to me, lo these many decades. I can't possibly tell you how frequently I've been working on a dish, thought it needed a little flavor boost, and consulted one of these two books to see which herb or spice they recommended be added.

And, for years, my standard wedding/kitchen shower gift was a basket filled with assorted herbs and spices, and one of these two books.

They still hold an honored spot in my cookbook rack and I still refer to them at least once a month. I've cleaned out my cookbook shelf a time or two through the years and never would consider getting rid of either of them. So I do recommend them.

But I will say that it's obvious now that these two old friends are, like me, I suppose, somewhat dated. Often, as I'm perusing this recipe or that herb/spice description, I run across some bit of information that seems passé.

That's a brilliant shower gift idea. I trust you won't mind if I borrow it.

Mind? Why, I'm flattered!

I usually went with the Spice Islands Cookbook for the basket because it's smaller, and looks so pretty with all of the herbs and spices arranged attractively around.

I gave it, not only for wedding/shower gifts, but also to neices, nephews, friends's children, etc., that were headed off to college, or to their first apartment, or something like that.

It always went over really well. For one thing, those herbs and spices are expensive, and can be quite a shock the first time you head to the market to stock up your spice rack. Especially if you're a neophyte at the cooking and seasoning game and have no idea what to buy.

I'd love a good recommendation here too. Has anyone heard of a book that contains recommended measurements for spices? Obviously things vary a lot but it'd be fantastic to have a starting point for recipes with less familiar flavor profiles. Just something like "X is commonly used 2:1 with Y", or "10g of Z per chicken breast". I suspect I'm looking for something that's not entirely possible, but that doesn't mean I can't dream...